13 Moments That Made Employees Realize the Job Wasn’t Worth It

While employment has its perks, sometimes it’s more trouble than it’s worth. And when your job causes you to reach boiling point, you may have no other choice but to put an end to the heat. The people below share their experiences of the moments that made them decide they couldn’t stick it out for a second longer. Check out what finally made them break.

1. The shadow

I was tired of doing a 3 person job: My boss following me around, calling me at home, during meetings, when I was sick, talking to me outside the bathroom door — it was making me crazy.

The final straw was when I came back from vacation one day to find piles and piles of work that other people could have done. I quit, packed my stuff and left. © TweedS****r / Reddit

2. Tomorrow’s too far

I was a program director developing and piloting a new program. And after a year of being overloaded and telling our exec director I either needed a second person or a smaller caseload, he pulls me into his office and goes, “We don’t really think you’re a good fit for this position, but you’re a bright young lady, and we’d hate to lose you. I’m giving you the option to stay and be my secretary. You have until 7am tomorrow to decide.”

I took an early lunch, walked to my other job, asked if I could take on more hours, walked back, and told him I had found other employment and would have my stuff cleared out by noon. © Intrepid_Knowledge27 / Reddit

3. Bad call

My boss shouted at me because I took a phone message for him, because he was already on a call. Apparently he was eagerly awaiting the call I answered and would have preferred I interrupted him.

I said, “Do I look like a mind reader? Cut me my check; I quit.” He tried hard to backpedal, but there had been many, many previous straws. © JohnE*******t / Reddit

4. “Missed a spot”

Worked at a fake French café and the manager made a point of giving me the worst jobs just to show he was in charge. One day, he pulled me off the floor (where I earned tips as a server) and made me polish silver for hours. He kept returning and throwing every second piece back at me, telling me to do it over. Kept saying “missed a spot”.

So I walked out. I also invoiced the owner for my outstanding pay and informed him his manager was not up for the job. © W***Fairie / Reddit

5. Permission to what?

When I was about 19 one of my jobs was telemarketer. Had been doing it a couple weeks and the company promoted a caller to shift leader. He made an announcement that we would have to ask permission to use the restroom.

I noped out of there, the only job I walked out on without notice. I’m not asking anyone for permission to use the bathroom. © Ok_Airline7757 / Reddit

6. Extra! Extra!

Boss said, “We expect you to go above and beyond without extra pay, extra respect or even extra coffee.” I went above and beyond, straight out the door. © PrettyPetiteQueen / Reddit

7. The chili isn’t okay.

I’m a French-trained chef with a degree in restaurant management who’s been cooking for 16 years now. I had a shift lead — who was notorious for undercooked everything and sending out raw beef and chicken — tell me, “Just keep quiet and do what I tell you, or I’m sending you home.”

I looked him in the eyes, took off my apron, told him I quit, and went home. He made people sick with his food, and he tried to tell me that the chili was still fine after being out of temp for an hour. © Confident_Raccoon408 / Reddit

8. Oh, snap.

My manager started snapping her fingers in my face, 3 inches away from my eyes saying in a slow drawl, “Youuuu’re doinnnng it wroooong, hellloooo that’s not how I told you to do iiiit” when I was folding the shirts somewhat slower and less optimally than I was shown (though achieving the same fold — also it was my third week and one of 20 folds I had to learn on that job).

I walked right then and there. © MisfortuneGortune / Reddit

9. Bruised head

Used to be a vet tech. I was already past my last straw... or so I thought. My 2 weeks was already submitted. I was maybe 3 days into that two weeks.

The dentist table was just used and the giant X-ray thing hanging from the ceiling was nudged out into the way. I was rushing around for an emergency and ran smack-dab into that heavy steel equipment. Left a nasty bruise on my head. Gave out a loud yell and that was that. I quit on the spot. © Appropriate_Flan_952 / Reddit

10. “Let the team down.”

Worked at a pizza place. Had a throat infection and cold, barely able to stand. Took a day off work, with a doctor’s note, and came in the next day.

The manager stuck into me about how I let the team down, and how we were a family. I handed her the doctor’s note and walked out. © Missdermeanerthanyou / Reddit

11. Back to square one

A co-worker in student transportation, who had finally gotten a position she wanted after years of suffering through stress in another, was called by management over the summer and told she was being reassigned to the stressful position because no one else wanted to do it.

She had fought too long and hard to get what she wanted, and her immediate response was, “Then tell me what I need to do to resign.” She did, and she’s been at peace with her decision ever since. © oldatheart515 / Reddit

12. No training

At one job at a clinic, I quit after a month because they made me do a solo receptionist shift without training me on what I needed to do to open the clinic. And then I got yelled at for not knowing what to do. In front of patients.

It was so bad, some of the patients came up to me after and asked if I was ok. © HalfSugarMilkTea / Reddit

13. Forget vacation days

I was thinking about quitting but was holding back. I scheduled a vacation with 3 extra days. It was a once in a lifetime type of trip. He rejected my vacation request. I thought about it for a couple of hours.

Went to his office and told him, “I’m taking the trip no matter what.” The next morning, the boss met me at HR and gave me a formal written warning. I responded by giving him my 2-week notice. They apologized and tried to convince me not to leave, but it was too late. © Unknown author / Reddit

Some jobs have a way of becoming emotional battlegrounds, and these people’s office conflicts left them with some battle scars that would make for a really good story.